The Hordern Pavilion is buzzing tonight, still shaking with the energy spilling over from Allianz Stadium next door where the Wallabies clash with Argentina has just finished. Rugby scarves mingle with band tees as streams of fans pour into Moore Park, shifting the night’s mood from sport to song. Inside, the Hordern is a hive of activity, packed tight with voices eager for Mayday Parade’s return.
The night opens with Seattle’s The Home Team, whose mix of R&B-leaning melodies, pop sensibilities, and funk textures set them apart from the standard pop-punk formula. Their set feels like a warm invitation—bright choruses bouncing around the room, and the crowd quickly falling in step.
Then, after a long absence, Jack’s Mannequin takes the stage. Andrew McMahon sits at his piano, almost swallowed by cheers as the first chords ring out. For a band who last visited Australia 15 years ago, the response is reverent and rapturous. Tracks from The Glass Passenger and People and Things wash over the Hordern like time capsules cracked open, their piano-driven alt-pop a reminder of how singular they always sounded within the mid-2000s emo landscape.
But the night belongs to Mayday Parade. Twenty years in, the Tallahassee band still summon a communal catharsis that few peers can touch. Launching into their career-spanning set, they pull liberally from their discography, with voices from the floor carrying as much weight as Derek Sanders’ own.
There’s a sense of full-circle here—Mayday Parade celebrating their own 20 years alongside Jack’s Mannequin’s return and The Home Team’s fresh urgency. At the Hordern, it doesn’t feel like nostalgia. It feels like a band still alive, still finding new ways to connect. For two decades, Mayday Parade have promised honesty and community. Tonight in Sydney, they deliver it again.
The tour moves to Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth next – tickets HERE.
Images Deb Pelser
